2008 WitchWRITER Main Judge
Post by silverstar03 on May 20, 2008 16:35:36 GMT -4
INDEX CARD
TITLE: Guardian from Above
AUTHOR: Silverstar03
TYPE (one-shot, chapters, part of a series): 8 chapters
RATING: (K, T, M, MA): T
LEAD CHARACTERS: Sisters-fic with Piper/Leo and Phoebe/Cole, focuses a lot on Paige
ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Demons
SHORT SUMMARY: An unknown enemy attacks and Paige gets a visit from an unexpected person...Will the Charmed Ones survive or will they need the help of a sister that is no longer with them?
Guardian from Above
By: Silverstar03
Note from the Author: This fic is written from the point of view of many characters. You’ll know whose view it is because I’ll write their name before it changes. Enjoy!
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*(PAIGE)*
“Wow, it sure is windy out tonight,” I said to myself as I slammed the door of my lime green Bug shut and started up the drive to the manor. Clouds covered all the stars in the sky, but the full moon shone brightly down upon me. Shivering at the sight, I quickened my pace and went inside.
“Hello y’all, I’m home,” I called. Silence greeted me. “Hello?” A chill ran down my back as I glanced around the dark foyer. Feeling that something was terribly wrong, I groped for the light switch and flicked it on after fumbling in the dark for a few moments. The house was a mess! A table was overthrown and books and papers from various shelves were everywhere. “Piper! Phoebe!” I yelled. After glancing around the room one more time, I ran for the attic. As I ascended I heard noises coming from the top floor - loud noises of fighting and messes that would have to be cleaned up later. Mentally noting that we should talk about assigned demon-clean-up weeks, I rushed to the door and…*SMACK* The door was blacked from the inside.
“Owwww...” I found myself on the ground with a lump on my head. Not wanting to waste time, I gathered my energy and felt the familiar glow and tingling sensation as I lifted off the floor in blue dust and orbed into the attic.
When I released my energy I found myself standing within an all out fight. An ugly blue demon with two horns on his head stood on one side of the room throwing slime from his fingertips. Piper was out. She lay on the floor struggling to free herself from the slime that was hardening around her. Luckily, I had orbed in behind an overturned table and I hadn’t been noticed yet. Phoebe was going all out with the demon, but she looked like she was tiring. I had to act quickly.
“Slime!” I said loudly, holding my hand out and calling for the hardening goo that covered Piper. It lifted off of her in blue sparkling lights and came towards me. Half way across the room, I shoved the energy away and threw it towards the blue demon. Phoebe, seeing what was coming, levitated away and landed next to Piper before helping her up. I ran up next to them and we watched as the goo hardened around the Mr. Horn (which I officially named him). In a few moments he was totally hardened and crumbled into dust.
“Ewww...” Piper shuddered. “That could have happened to me…”
“C’mon,” Phoebe urged, dragging both of us across the attic. “Let’s find out who that ugly dude was.” There, on top of its pedestal, sat The Book of Shadows, untouched and undamaged.
“Oh, Paige, good timing by the way,” Piper congratulated, giving me a half hug before -“LEO!!!”
“Owww...hey, no yelling next to my ears,” I whined, rubbing them with my hands. “Remember, I just saved your butts.” Piper smiled apologetically before Leo orbed in next to her and looked around.
“What happened!? Are you three alright?” he asked. There stood Leo, jeans and a flannel shirt...it always amazed me that he could wear the same outfit so many times...Piper had yet to convince him to try a new style. As I shook my head at the thought, Leo and Piper slipped out of the room. When I noticed they were gone I rolled my eyes with a sigh. It must be love.
“Hey, where did those two go?” Phoebe asked. She was standing in front of the pedestal leafing through the Book.
“I don’t know. One minute they were there, the next they were gone,” I replied. As I answered Phoebe, Leo and Piper orbed in with bottled water for everyone.
“Have you found the demon yet?” Leo asked, walking over to Phoebe and glancing at the Book. Piper must have filled him in with the details when they were downstairs.
“No, not yet,” Phoebe replied, gratefully taking the water and stepping aside as I walked up next to Leo and started flipping through the Book myself. As I skimmed the aged pages of the Book, a shimmer of blue caught my eye.
“Here he is, Mr. Horn,” I said triumphantly before taking some water.
“Hmmnnn...a Bluhonius,” Leo stated. “A hired assassin that goes after witches in exchange for power.”
“But if Mr. Horn has survived this long, wouldn’t he have more powers than that ugly slime trick? Wouldn’t he be harder to defeat?” I asked.
“I think he obtains power with each contract. In other words, he’s given power in exchange for killing witches. He uses that power to survive. If he had killed you three, then I’m sure he’d be given enough power to survive for many years before he’d have to kill again.”
“Well, this is fascinating, but I want to know who hired him and why,” Phoebe demanded. “Leo, could you go check with the Elders and see if They know anything?”
“Sure, but you three be careful. We don’t know if another assassin will come, and if another does, he could come at any time.” With that he gave Piper a quick kiss and disappeared into blue lights.
“Okay,” Piper declared. “Time to clean up the house!” *Sigh*
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to talk to you guys about that,” I said as we began clearing tables and chairs away from the attic door. “Do you think we could possibly discus the creation of a demon-clean-up week system? We could each take turns every week?” I pulled the last chair away from the door and Piper opened it.
“You know Paige,” Phoebe stated. “It gets cleaned up quicker when we work together.” They both smiled at me and I returned their sign of affection by sticking out my tongue.
“Both of you are no fun,” I complained as they laughed at me and we descended to the first floor.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*(PIPER)*
As I led the way downstairs I seriously thought about Paige’s clean-up suggestion. I remembered the mess made downstairs before we hurriedly ran for the Book. As I rounded the corner of the stairs I sucked in a breath. The place was a complete disaster zone. Books, papers, pictures, and magazines were everywhere. Our table and chairs were overturned and there was a big pool of slime hardening on the couch.
“Paige, orb that slime into the kitchen. We might be able to make a potion in case another demon of this sort shows up,” I said as we finished walking down the stairs and into the living room.
“Slime,” Paige said, and the slime turned into blue lights and floated into the kitchen. Paige and I quickly followed it and I got an old pan out so she could put the slime down. We then walked back into the living room to find Phoebe bent down over something.
“Phoebe...what is -” I stopped short. On the floor was Gram’s picture of us together...Prue, Phoebe, and me.
“It’s not ruined,” Phoebe said, brushing the broken glass aside. “The glass just broke, that’s all.” I sighed loudly, trying to keep my composure, and bent down with Phoebe to help rescue the picture before the glass cut it. Phoebe put the picture back on the shelf where it belonged and went to get the dust pan and broom.
“I’m going to work on the potion,” I said, turning to Paige who was shifting uncomfortably. “Can you help Phoebe clean up?”
“Sure,” she replied as I walked into the kitchen, afraid of how I’d cope if anything like that turned up again during the clean-up.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*(PAIGE)*
“Sure,” I replied, watching as Piper quickly walked out of the room. “She looked like she was about to break down,” I whispered to myself. Then, turning around, I saw Phoebe returning with two brooms, two dust-pans, and a trash bag.
“Let’s pile all the papers and things on the table so we can sort through them tomorrow,” she said, looking at her watch. “I’m tired and just want to get this over with.” I watched her for a moment before taking a broom and smiling.
“Hmmmmnnn,” I mused. “I bet Cole is shimmering in for a visit tonight, isn’t he Phoebe? C’mon, admit it.” She blushed and gave me a shove as she went to sweep up the glass. I laughed and then walked towards the book shelf, ready to clean. The time went by slowly. I set tables and chairs in their rightful places, swept up all the glass and broken things that couldn’t be repaired, and gathered papers and books, arranging them neatly on the table. An hour after the attack Leo orbed in and we gathered in the kitchen.
“Did you find out anything?” Phoebe asked.
“I spoke with the Elders,” he replied, “And all They know is that there’s a demon faction trying to take the place of the source. Things may be getting desperate for this group, and that’s why they hired an assassin to attack. The Elders think that the leader may be attacking soon since his assassin failed.”
“Do you know who this guy is?” I asked.
“They don’t know,” Leo replied. There was silence for a moment before Piper spoke up. “Well, here’s the potion for you guys anyway, just in case. I also made one that imitates the slime power.” She handed us each two labeled bottles. “I’m sure this guy will probably send another assassin. When he does I’ll freeze him and we might be able to get some information out of him.”
“Alright, so we have a plan,” Phoebe declared. “I’m going to bed. Everyone stay alert, and Leo...?”
“Yes, I’ll be here. Just yell if anything happens,” he said, putting his arm around Piper.
“I think I’ll head up too,” Piper said mischiefly. “What about you Paige?”
“I’m going to stay down here a while and organize some of the books and things. I can’t sleep anyway knowing there might be an assassin in the house,” I replied. I watched as all three went upstairs and sighed. The only reason those two felt safe enough to sleep was because they both had guys to keep them company. Shaking my head at the thought, I went into the living room and knelt down to organize, potions in hand.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*(PHOEBE)*
I started upstairs with Leo and Piper behind me. Glancing back, I saw them walk into their room and shut the door. Poor Piper had gotten really emotional over that picture...I walked into my room and as I changed into my pajamas I wished that Cole would hurry up and shimmer in. Sitting down at my desk, I looked into the mirror. My spirits soared as I saw the familiar shimmer in the air and in a few seconds Cole was standing beside me. I sighed in joy and relief, and proceeded to get up to give him a welcoming hug. I slipped my arms around him, and even though he was sweaty from being on the run, I gave him a long and passionate kiss. I did not want him to leave me again.
“Hey,” he whispered, pulling out of our embrace. “What’s wrong?” I smiled at him, wondering how he could know my feelings just by looking into my eyes.
“We were attacked by a Bluhonius. Someone’s after us,” I replied. “And the house is a wreck. We still haven’t even started cleaning up the attic. We cleaned up the living room though, and I found….” I trailed off as I recalled the shattered glass and almost torn photograph. Cole waited until I looked up at him and told him about broken frame around the picture of Piper, Prue, and me. “Piper was pretty upset...” I added.
“But the picture wasn’t ruined, was it?” he asked, frowning in concern.
“No, it wasn’t ruined,” I answered. “But it brought back memories for both of us. We’re both still adjusting to her not being around and to Paige becoming a part of our lives.”
“Well,” Cole whispered. “Prue may be gone, but I’m sure she’ll always be watching over this family. And since she can’t act to protect you, I will.” I lifted my head and met his lips with fire and passion. I felt his arms under me as he lifted me up and plopped me onto the bed.
“I love you,” I whispered as he lay down next to me.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*(PAIGE)*
There were millions of papers! What did those two want with all of these?! *sigh* Well, I couldn’t sleep with the thought of an attack, so I set the potions on the table and started to sort through the never-ending stack. I had a pile for magazines, a pile for P3 papers, a pile for miscellaneous, and a pile for pictures. There seemed to be a picture album that had fallen apart. After gathering up all of the photos and the album, I sat down on the couch and started to go through them, putting them back into the album one at a time. It started with pictures of...Grams...and my mother...I felt the tears come to my eyes as I picked up a picture with my mother, grandmother, and...my father...I quickly placed it into the album.
“Why am I getting so choked up...?” I asked myself, and I knew the answer. I loved my parents more than anything, but I had never met or got to know my biological family, besides Piper and Phoebe. It was like I had never met a part of me. I went through sections of Baby Phoebe and Baby Piper, and then there was another baby, pictures of a girl I slightly recognized. I pulled a picture of the girl from my stack to find that in this picture she was a full grown woman. This person had medium length dark brown hair, brown and mysterious eyes, and the stance of someone with total confidence. Her baby pictures had looked familiar because I had seen her before. Shaking, I put the photo in with the others. It was Prue Halliwell...my sister. A shiver went down my back as I stared at the picture in wonder. What did Prue have that made her sisters fall to pieces when they were reminded of her? What had happened to make such a strong person lose her life? And how was I ever going to fill her void so that my sisters could live in peace? All of these questions and many more went through my head as I stared at the picture. An hour later I had returned the photo album to its original condition, but I hadn’t gotten Prue’s face out of my mind. I set the album in my lap and glanced up at the clock. It was rounding on mid...night............
********************
The white clouds were moving by swiftly in the baby blue sky. A breeze blew by that caused my hair to float around me and then settle down at my sides. I closed my eyes as this breeze blew, and it reminded me of the shiver that had run down my back when I had looked at my sister’s picture...I sat up suddenly and turned around. Behind me were rose bushes, and beyond that I couldn’t see, for a white mist went in every direction. The breeze did not return, and a sense of peacefulness came over me. The sun was warm and the grass beneath my bear feet felt alive. I then noticed that I was in a short white skirt and a pink V-neck blouse. After glancing around, I reached over and took a rose from the bush. Funny, there were no thorns. I smelt the aroma and breathed it in deeply. Smiling, I put the rose behind my ear. Suddenly, as I was about to sit down, a chilling breeze blew by again. A shiver went all the way down my back and the sun went behind a cloud. Turning around, I saw movement coming from the white mist. I stepped back as the shape turned into an image of a woman. I gasped as she stepped out of the mist. Before me stood a dark-haired girl with mysterious eyes dressed in a white robe...There stood Prue...my sister. I stood still in shock, the peaceful sense gone as she stared calmly at me. Finally, she spoke.
“You’re Paige, right? My sister?” she asked, tilting her head in a confident and friendly way.
“Yeah, I’m Paige...and I know who you are...I...went to your funeral,” I replied, giving her my most confident face. I had been a witch for almost a year now, but I was _not_ use to talking with the dead.
“Yes...” she replied, looking upset for a moment. Then, she looked at me and glanced around. “Interesting choice for a dream,” she told me, smiling at the rose in my hair.
“What do you mean?” I asked, gaining more courage through time.
“Grams has told me about going into the dreams of others,” she replied. “When it occurs the person must have the deceased on their minds, and the dream shows the state that the person wants to live in. The rose stands for love, and the open field and sun for peacefulness and your want of a normal life. The mist is your wild side, which is witchcraft and the danger and surprise that you enjoy in life...I wonder what Piper and Phoebe’s dreams would look like...” she drifted off, looking up at the sky. I saw pain and guilt on her face. It was the same expression I saw on Piper’s face when she looked at that picture of Phoebe, Prue, and herself. There was silence for a moment before Prue looked at me with tears in her eyes. “I have a favor to ask of you,” she said softly, the wind blowing her hair angelically around her face.
“What is it?” I asked.
“The Elders won’t let Piper or Phoebe summon me,” she said. “You’ve seen them summon Grams and Mom before, but I cannot be summoned. The Elders will not allow me to watch them from up there, and I can only know how my sisters are through short messages from Grams.” She stopped and looked me straight in the eyes. “That’s why I need your help.”
“How can I help?” I asked, bewildered and excited at the same time.
“I could only do this spell because I...was...a Charmed one and you are one also. Our powers allowed this to happen. The full moon helped as well. I waited until this night for I did not know if the connection between us was strong enough, and the full moon would have helped to connect our souls to meet. But, it looks like you have been thinking of me, for it has been easy to stay in contact and I am not slipping out of this dream.” I blushed with embarrassment. She knew I had her on my mind. “I cannot contact Piper or Phoebe because of the Elders. They say that the loss is too close for them, and if I speak with them then they will not accept my...death.” She said the word with denial, disgust, and embarrassment. “Grams will not tell me much, for she doesn’t always have time to watch over you three. She was a powerful witch in her time and has much experience. She confers a lot with messengers from the Elders.” She paused for a breath and looked up at the sky before continuing. The clouds were gone and a dark sky with stars and a shining full moon was in its place. Day had turned to night. “It is nearing morning, so I will hurry,” she said quickly. “I would appreciate it if I could come in contact with you like this regularly to find out how Piper and Phoebe are doing. I miss them terribly...But I cannot see them. I think it is for my own good...”
“I know,” I said softly, stepping forward and putting my hand on her shoulder. “The Elders are right. I can see it in your eyes...You must accept your own death before you may appear as a ghost.” She looked up sharply but I had a grip on her shoulder. “Don’t be embarrassed,” I said firmly. “It was your time...and it isn’t like you failed. Your sisters are still alive and living wonderful lives. You didn’t fail them.” She looked at me with doubt and started to say something, but stopped. I didn’t blame her. I felt the bond between us, for we were half sisters and shared a similar power...But she did not know me, and I knew very little of her. I dropped my hand and took a step back. The wind was getting cold.
“My favor,” she continued. “It may drain your strength somewhat, but that is why I will come on the full and half moons. They give us more power and it will not take a toll on you as much.” I looked at Prue and saw the pain in her eyes. She was desperate to help and look after her sisters, even in death. She had done it all her life and couldn’t stop now. “What do you say Paige?” she asked. “Will you do this for me?” The wind blew swiftly and I shivered in the breeze.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “I will help...but this isn’t a good time for my strength to weaken. Someone is after us. An assassin was sent, but we defeated it.” I looked at her and she smiled sadly.
“Yes, there’s always someone,” she said softly. “I am sorry. I give you this now then.” She held out her hand and in it was a white glowing light. “It is a piece of my soul. It will allow you to stay strong and will let me stay in contact with you with ease. You’ll learn to summon me in your dreams as well, with this inside of you.” I looked at her with caution and I saw her smile with encouragement. Taking a deep breath, I reached out my hand and timidly touched the light. My body felt like fire as part of her soul went into me. Prue was a fighter. That small part of her soul was so strong...When my head cleared I opened my eyes and saw her looking at me with surprise. She felt it too. I had become part of her, and she had become part of me as well. I felt her confidence and her love for her sisters. I knew when she felt my uncertainty of my role in the Halliwell family and when she felt my yearn for a love as strong as the love between Piper and Leo, as well as between Phoebe and Cole.
Then, the ground started to shake and the stars began to fall.
“What’s happening?!” I yelled to Prue, who stood there with composure.
“Morning is coming, and your body wants you to wake,” she said softly. “We will be in touch. Please be careful and I wish you luck with this new enemy.” With that the stars reached the ground and exploded.
********************
My eyes popped open to the gong of the clock. It was nine o’clock, and Piper stood in front of me.
“Wha...?” I said, confused at where I was. The album was still in my lap and sunlight was filtering in through the window and onto me.
“You fell asleep Paige,” Piper said, putting her hand out to help me up. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for a few minutes. How long did you stay up last night?” I got to my feet and wobbled, almost collapsing, but holding my balance. “Paige, are you okay?” Piper said, concern in her voice. “Sit down,” she demanded, pushing me to the couch again. My head was ringing and I felt dizzy. I watched as she ran out of the room and into the kitchen.
“My body must be getting use to the soul...” I whispered, putting my hand to my head. “I would be a lot weaker than this...but when I was about to collapse I felt that confidence...from Prue...” I sat back in the couch and waited for my headache to recede while I contemplated my situation. Hearing something, I opened my eyes and saw Leo bent down in front of me. Piper was standing next to him holding a glass of water and some aspirin.
“Here, take this,” she said, handing them to me. I obeyed, wanting my massive headache to leave.
“Paige, tell me what’s wrong,” Leo said, putting his hand on my forehead. “Did you get hurt last night?”
“Uh...no,” I replied while handing my glass back to Piper. “I did knock my head on the door, but the bump went away...” I felt Leo’s hand trace my forehead, but as I said the bump had disappeared. “I just felt a little dizzy,” I told him, waving his arm away. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” I saw their concern but was determined to not worry them...or was that Prue? I shivered at the thought and started to rise to my feet. Leo and Piper both reached out to help me up, but when I was on my feet I waved their arms away. “Don’t worry about me,” I said again, more firmly. “Anyway, we should be concentrating on the demon that will be attacking.” I saw recognition flash across Piper’s face, and she took a step towards Leo and held onto his shoulder.
“Wow Paige,” she said in an astonished voice. “At that exact moment...with your body language and tone and all...you sounded just like Prue.” I stared at her for a moment and blushed.
“Sorry,” I said softly before turning and heading for the kitchen. Piper and Leo followed and when I sat down at the table they sat down right in front of me. “Could you please pass a bagel?” I asked as I reached for the cream cheese and ignored my family’s inquisitive stares. Piper complied but both she and Leo kept their eyes on me.
“Paige, what’s wrong?” Piper asked. “Is there something you’re not telling us?” I looked up from my bagel and gazed at both of them. Finally, I gave them a smile and sighed.
“No, nothing’s wrong,” I said, giving them a look of apology. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“Okay,” Piper replied. “But if something were wrong, you would tell us?” I nodded and we left it at that. Wow, Prue sure was a strong one. I realized that she had given me part of her soul in order for me to be stronger, but if I wasn’t careful she’d take over my actions. Shaking my head, I continued to eat.
“Hopefully this food will reenergize me,” I said to myself while glancing up to see Leo reading the paper and Piper doing the dishes. I hope it does...I need all my strength.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*(PHOEBE)*
Opening my eyes, I saw that Cole was leaning over me.
“Good morning,” I said as he leaned down to give me a kiss.
“Good morning,” he replied, holding his hand out and helping me out of bed. “Everyone else is already up,” he said. “I’m getting in the shower really quick.” With that, he shimmered out and the water started to run. Oh, and boy did he need a shower! Running from bounty hunters sure does make a person sweaty and dirty. Ewhhhhh… Sighing to myself, I quickly got dressed and brushed my hair. When I was finished Cole shimmered back in with his hair wet, but at least he was clean. I gave him a hug and then we went downstairs. To our surprise, as we started down the stair case, Paige was coming up...Dressed in the same clothes she had on yesterday.
“Hey,” she said with surprise. “I’m just going to change.” We let her pass before quickly entering the kitchen.
“What’s wrong with Paige?” I asked, walking up to Piper as she turned to face me. “She was in the same clothes she had on yesterday. Was she attacked? What happened?”
“Calm down,” Piper said in her way that makes you think everything will be fine. I hadn‘t heard her use that tone since Prue was alive and she was the middle sister. “She just fell asleep down here last night while she was putting pictures back in the album. She did wake up with a headache and feeling a little dizzy, but that could have been from her sleeping position or from the fight yesterday disorientating her.” I looked at Leo and he nodded his head. Then, glancing at Cole, I sighed and sat down at the table.
“I’m sorry,” I told Piper as she sat down in front of me. “I guess it’s just the stress of waiting for another attack.” She put her hand on mine and held it for assurance. A moment later she let go and I looked up.
“It’s okay, we’re all stressed. That might have been why Paige felt sick this morning. Just eat something and you’ll feel better.” I shook my head while Cole sat down next to me and reached for two bagels, one for each of us. As I ate I realized that Leo was reading the paper, Piper was doing the dishes, and Paige was late coming downstairs...we were still in our normal routine. I was finishing up when I heard Paige walk down the stairs and turn into the living room. After finishing my breakfast I got up, took my plate as well as Cole’s, and put them in the dishwasher. Then, to my surprise, Cole took me aside and into the hall.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, seeing distress and worry in his features.
“I’ve been here too long,” he replied, giving me a hug. I put my arms around him and knew what was coming next. “I can feel the bounty hunters getting closer, and they will attack very soon. I don’t want you to be in any more danger than necessary.” I looked up into his eyes and saw his agony. He hated to leave when a demon was going to attack, but he had no choice. He bent down and gave me a light and pleasant kiss before stepping back and shimmering out before he could change his mind. Oh, I hated when he did this...Never knowing if he’d come back to me, never knowing if he was okay...*sigh* Gaining my composure, I walked into the living room to see Paige picking up her potions from the table and putting them into her pocket. I watched as she started to pace around the room, restless, just like...Prue use to do.
“Are you alright,” I asked, walking in and sitting on the arm of the couch. She stopped suddenly, like she hadn’t realized she was pacing, and looked over at me.
“Yeah,” she finally said with a sigh. “I’m okay.” I could tell she still wasn’t feeling great, but I didn’t say anything. I probably didn’t look too great either. “Are you okay?” she asked. She had seen the worry and sorrow on my face, just as I had thought.
“Cole had to leave,” I answered, and that was enough for her to understand.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*(PAIGE)*
I looked at Phoebe with concern and understanding. It was hard for her to have no knowledge of Cole’s whereabouts or safety. I gave her a reassuring smile and opened my mouth to comfort herm but I was interrupted by a crash from the kitchen. A minute later Piper and Leo ran into the room, Piper leaning on him for support. Running after them came a human-looking demon dressed in black with a knife in his hand. Throwing his other hand outward, a strong wind came and knocked all of us off our feet. No, I had to get up! Shaking off the twisted ankle that had occurred after tumbling through the air and into the wall, I leaped to my feet and called for the knife.
“Knife!” I yelled, holding my hand out and watching as it materialized into my hand. Oh boy, now the demon had his eyes on me. I quickly surveyed the room. Piper was out and Leo was bending over Phoebe who had smashed into the stairs at a nasty angle. I quickly threw the knife into the demon’s leg. “Piper, do it now!” I yelled as the demon fell to his knee and attempted to pull out the knife. I looked over to see Piper struggle to sit up. Finally, she seemed to understand what was going on and threw out her hands just as the demon had succeeded in pulling out the blade from his wounded leg. The assassin froze in mid stance and all was quiet. I limped over to Piper and sat down next to her. She had a knife wound in her side and she was between consciousness and unconsciousness. “Leo!” I called and he was there in a second, healing her before she passed out and the demon unfroze. I looked behind us to see Phoebe on the floor, healed but just dazed. I stood up to go help her, but the confidence and urge to fight from Prue had withdrawn after the battle, and I fell to the floor.
“Paige!” Phoebe exclaimed as I fell to my knees. She swiftly got up and came to my side.
“It’s okay,” I insisted while I sat down on the floor, my ankle in front of me. “I think I just twisted my ankle.” Phoebe and I looked over to see Piper sitting up and concentrating to keep the demon frozen. Then, Leo and Phoebe switched places and Leo went to work healing my ankle. Phoebe helped Piper up and with Piper’s potions in hand, they walked over to the demon. Leo finished with me and held out his hand. “Thanks Leo,” I said as he helped me to my feet.
“No problem,” he replied, handing me my potions that had luckily slipped out of my pocket before I smashed into the wall. Phoebe had hers in her hand when the demon had sent her flying, so they were lying broken and unusable on the floor.
TO BE CONTINUED...
TITLE: Guardian from Above
AUTHOR: Silverstar03
TYPE (one-shot, chapters, part of a series): 8 chapters
RATING: (K, T, M, MA): T
LEAD CHARACTERS: Sisters-fic with Piper/Leo and Phoebe/Cole, focuses a lot on Paige
ORIGINAL CHARACTERS: Demons
SHORT SUMMARY: An unknown enemy attacks and Paige gets a visit from an unexpected person...Will the Charmed Ones survive or will they need the help of a sister that is no longer with them?
Guardian from Above
By: Silverstar03
Note from the Author: This fic is written from the point of view of many characters. You’ll know whose view it is because I’ll write their name before it changes. Enjoy!
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*(PAIGE)*
“Wow, it sure is windy out tonight,” I said to myself as I slammed the door of my lime green Bug shut and started up the drive to the manor. Clouds covered all the stars in the sky, but the full moon shone brightly down upon me. Shivering at the sight, I quickened my pace and went inside.
“Hello y’all, I’m home,” I called. Silence greeted me. “Hello?” A chill ran down my back as I glanced around the dark foyer. Feeling that something was terribly wrong, I groped for the light switch and flicked it on after fumbling in the dark for a few moments. The house was a mess! A table was overthrown and books and papers from various shelves were everywhere. “Piper! Phoebe!” I yelled. After glancing around the room one more time, I ran for the attic. As I ascended I heard noises coming from the top floor - loud noises of fighting and messes that would have to be cleaned up later. Mentally noting that we should talk about assigned demon-clean-up weeks, I rushed to the door and…*SMACK* The door was blacked from the inside.
“Owwww...” I found myself on the ground with a lump on my head. Not wanting to waste time, I gathered my energy and felt the familiar glow and tingling sensation as I lifted off the floor in blue dust and orbed into the attic.
When I released my energy I found myself standing within an all out fight. An ugly blue demon with two horns on his head stood on one side of the room throwing slime from his fingertips. Piper was out. She lay on the floor struggling to free herself from the slime that was hardening around her. Luckily, I had orbed in behind an overturned table and I hadn’t been noticed yet. Phoebe was going all out with the demon, but she looked like she was tiring. I had to act quickly.
“Slime!” I said loudly, holding my hand out and calling for the hardening goo that covered Piper. It lifted off of her in blue sparkling lights and came towards me. Half way across the room, I shoved the energy away and threw it towards the blue demon. Phoebe, seeing what was coming, levitated away and landed next to Piper before helping her up. I ran up next to them and we watched as the goo hardened around the Mr. Horn (which I officially named him). In a few moments he was totally hardened and crumbled into dust.
“Ewww...” Piper shuddered. “That could have happened to me…”
“C’mon,” Phoebe urged, dragging both of us across the attic. “Let’s find out who that ugly dude was.” There, on top of its pedestal, sat The Book of Shadows, untouched and undamaged.
“Oh, Paige, good timing by the way,” Piper congratulated, giving me a half hug before -“LEO!!!”
“Owww...hey, no yelling next to my ears,” I whined, rubbing them with my hands. “Remember, I just saved your butts.” Piper smiled apologetically before Leo orbed in next to her and looked around.
“What happened!? Are you three alright?” he asked. There stood Leo, jeans and a flannel shirt...it always amazed me that he could wear the same outfit so many times...Piper had yet to convince him to try a new style. As I shook my head at the thought, Leo and Piper slipped out of the room. When I noticed they were gone I rolled my eyes with a sigh. It must be love.
“Hey, where did those two go?” Phoebe asked. She was standing in front of the pedestal leafing through the Book.
“I don’t know. One minute they were there, the next they were gone,” I replied. As I answered Phoebe, Leo and Piper orbed in with bottled water for everyone.
“Have you found the demon yet?” Leo asked, walking over to Phoebe and glancing at the Book. Piper must have filled him in with the details when they were downstairs.
“No, not yet,” Phoebe replied, gratefully taking the water and stepping aside as I walked up next to Leo and started flipping through the Book myself. As I skimmed the aged pages of the Book, a shimmer of blue caught my eye.
“Here he is, Mr. Horn,” I said triumphantly before taking some water.
“Hmmnnn...a Bluhonius,” Leo stated. “A hired assassin that goes after witches in exchange for power.”
“But if Mr. Horn has survived this long, wouldn’t he have more powers than that ugly slime trick? Wouldn’t he be harder to defeat?” I asked.
“I think he obtains power with each contract. In other words, he’s given power in exchange for killing witches. He uses that power to survive. If he had killed you three, then I’m sure he’d be given enough power to survive for many years before he’d have to kill again.”
“Well, this is fascinating, but I want to know who hired him and why,” Phoebe demanded. “Leo, could you go check with the Elders and see if They know anything?”
“Sure, but you three be careful. We don’t know if another assassin will come, and if another does, he could come at any time.” With that he gave Piper a quick kiss and disappeared into blue lights.
“Okay,” Piper declared. “Time to clean up the house!” *Sigh*
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to talk to you guys about that,” I said as we began clearing tables and chairs away from the attic door. “Do you think we could possibly discus the creation of a demon-clean-up week system? We could each take turns every week?” I pulled the last chair away from the door and Piper opened it.
“You know Paige,” Phoebe stated. “It gets cleaned up quicker when we work together.” They both smiled at me and I returned their sign of affection by sticking out my tongue.
“Both of you are no fun,” I complained as they laughed at me and we descended to the first floor.
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*(PIPER)*
As I led the way downstairs I seriously thought about Paige’s clean-up suggestion. I remembered the mess made downstairs before we hurriedly ran for the Book. As I rounded the corner of the stairs I sucked in a breath. The place was a complete disaster zone. Books, papers, pictures, and magazines were everywhere. Our table and chairs were overturned and there was a big pool of slime hardening on the couch.
“Paige, orb that slime into the kitchen. We might be able to make a potion in case another demon of this sort shows up,” I said as we finished walking down the stairs and into the living room.
“Slime,” Paige said, and the slime turned into blue lights and floated into the kitchen. Paige and I quickly followed it and I got an old pan out so she could put the slime down. We then walked back into the living room to find Phoebe bent down over something.
“Phoebe...what is -” I stopped short. On the floor was Gram’s picture of us together...Prue, Phoebe, and me.
“It’s not ruined,” Phoebe said, brushing the broken glass aside. “The glass just broke, that’s all.” I sighed loudly, trying to keep my composure, and bent down with Phoebe to help rescue the picture before the glass cut it. Phoebe put the picture back on the shelf where it belonged and went to get the dust pan and broom.
“I’m going to work on the potion,” I said, turning to Paige who was shifting uncomfortably. “Can you help Phoebe clean up?”
“Sure,” she replied as I walked into the kitchen, afraid of how I’d cope if anything like that turned up again during the clean-up.
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*(PAIGE)*
“Sure,” I replied, watching as Piper quickly walked out of the room. “She looked like she was about to break down,” I whispered to myself. Then, turning around, I saw Phoebe returning with two brooms, two dust-pans, and a trash bag.
“Let’s pile all the papers and things on the table so we can sort through them tomorrow,” she said, looking at her watch. “I’m tired and just want to get this over with.” I watched her for a moment before taking a broom and smiling.
“Hmmmmnnn,” I mused. “I bet Cole is shimmering in for a visit tonight, isn’t he Phoebe? C’mon, admit it.” She blushed and gave me a shove as she went to sweep up the glass. I laughed and then walked towards the book shelf, ready to clean. The time went by slowly. I set tables and chairs in their rightful places, swept up all the glass and broken things that couldn’t be repaired, and gathered papers and books, arranging them neatly on the table. An hour after the attack Leo orbed in and we gathered in the kitchen.
“Did you find out anything?” Phoebe asked.
“I spoke with the Elders,” he replied, “And all They know is that there’s a demon faction trying to take the place of the source. Things may be getting desperate for this group, and that’s why they hired an assassin to attack. The Elders think that the leader may be attacking soon since his assassin failed.”
“Do you know who this guy is?” I asked.
“They don’t know,” Leo replied. There was silence for a moment before Piper spoke up. “Well, here’s the potion for you guys anyway, just in case. I also made one that imitates the slime power.” She handed us each two labeled bottles. “I’m sure this guy will probably send another assassin. When he does I’ll freeze him and we might be able to get some information out of him.”
“Alright, so we have a plan,” Phoebe declared. “I’m going to bed. Everyone stay alert, and Leo...?”
“Yes, I’ll be here. Just yell if anything happens,” he said, putting his arm around Piper.
“I think I’ll head up too,” Piper said mischiefly. “What about you Paige?”
“I’m going to stay down here a while and organize some of the books and things. I can’t sleep anyway knowing there might be an assassin in the house,” I replied. I watched as all three went upstairs and sighed. The only reason those two felt safe enough to sleep was because they both had guys to keep them company. Shaking my head at the thought, I went into the living room and knelt down to organize, potions in hand.
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*(PHOEBE)*
I started upstairs with Leo and Piper behind me. Glancing back, I saw them walk into their room and shut the door. Poor Piper had gotten really emotional over that picture...I walked into my room and as I changed into my pajamas I wished that Cole would hurry up and shimmer in. Sitting down at my desk, I looked into the mirror. My spirits soared as I saw the familiar shimmer in the air and in a few seconds Cole was standing beside me. I sighed in joy and relief, and proceeded to get up to give him a welcoming hug. I slipped my arms around him, and even though he was sweaty from being on the run, I gave him a long and passionate kiss. I did not want him to leave me again.
“Hey,” he whispered, pulling out of our embrace. “What’s wrong?” I smiled at him, wondering how he could know my feelings just by looking into my eyes.
“We were attacked by a Bluhonius. Someone’s after us,” I replied. “And the house is a wreck. We still haven’t even started cleaning up the attic. We cleaned up the living room though, and I found….” I trailed off as I recalled the shattered glass and almost torn photograph. Cole waited until I looked up at him and told him about broken frame around the picture of Piper, Prue, and me. “Piper was pretty upset...” I added.
“But the picture wasn’t ruined, was it?” he asked, frowning in concern.
“No, it wasn’t ruined,” I answered. “But it brought back memories for both of us. We’re both still adjusting to her not being around and to Paige becoming a part of our lives.”
“Well,” Cole whispered. “Prue may be gone, but I’m sure she’ll always be watching over this family. And since she can’t act to protect you, I will.” I lifted my head and met his lips with fire and passion. I felt his arms under me as he lifted me up and plopped me onto the bed.
“I love you,” I whispered as he lay down next to me.
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*(PAIGE)*
There were millions of papers! What did those two want with all of these?! *sigh* Well, I couldn’t sleep with the thought of an attack, so I set the potions on the table and started to sort through the never-ending stack. I had a pile for magazines, a pile for P3 papers, a pile for miscellaneous, and a pile for pictures. There seemed to be a picture album that had fallen apart. After gathering up all of the photos and the album, I sat down on the couch and started to go through them, putting them back into the album one at a time. It started with pictures of...Grams...and my mother...I felt the tears come to my eyes as I picked up a picture with my mother, grandmother, and...my father...I quickly placed it into the album.
“Why am I getting so choked up...?” I asked myself, and I knew the answer. I loved my parents more than anything, but I had never met or got to know my biological family, besides Piper and Phoebe. It was like I had never met a part of me. I went through sections of Baby Phoebe and Baby Piper, and then there was another baby, pictures of a girl I slightly recognized. I pulled a picture of the girl from my stack to find that in this picture she was a full grown woman. This person had medium length dark brown hair, brown and mysterious eyes, and the stance of someone with total confidence. Her baby pictures had looked familiar because I had seen her before. Shaking, I put the photo in with the others. It was Prue Halliwell...my sister. A shiver went down my back as I stared at the picture in wonder. What did Prue have that made her sisters fall to pieces when they were reminded of her? What had happened to make such a strong person lose her life? And how was I ever going to fill her void so that my sisters could live in peace? All of these questions and many more went through my head as I stared at the picture. An hour later I had returned the photo album to its original condition, but I hadn’t gotten Prue’s face out of my mind. I set the album in my lap and glanced up at the clock. It was rounding on mid...night............
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The white clouds were moving by swiftly in the baby blue sky. A breeze blew by that caused my hair to float around me and then settle down at my sides. I closed my eyes as this breeze blew, and it reminded me of the shiver that had run down my back when I had looked at my sister’s picture...I sat up suddenly and turned around. Behind me were rose bushes, and beyond that I couldn’t see, for a white mist went in every direction. The breeze did not return, and a sense of peacefulness came over me. The sun was warm and the grass beneath my bear feet felt alive. I then noticed that I was in a short white skirt and a pink V-neck blouse. After glancing around, I reached over and took a rose from the bush. Funny, there were no thorns. I smelt the aroma and breathed it in deeply. Smiling, I put the rose behind my ear. Suddenly, as I was about to sit down, a chilling breeze blew by again. A shiver went all the way down my back and the sun went behind a cloud. Turning around, I saw movement coming from the white mist. I stepped back as the shape turned into an image of a woman. I gasped as she stepped out of the mist. Before me stood a dark-haired girl with mysterious eyes dressed in a white robe...There stood Prue...my sister. I stood still in shock, the peaceful sense gone as she stared calmly at me. Finally, she spoke.
“You’re Paige, right? My sister?” she asked, tilting her head in a confident and friendly way.
“Yeah, I’m Paige...and I know who you are...I...went to your funeral,” I replied, giving her my most confident face. I had been a witch for almost a year now, but I was _not_ use to talking with the dead.
“Yes...” she replied, looking upset for a moment. Then, she looked at me and glanced around. “Interesting choice for a dream,” she told me, smiling at the rose in my hair.
“What do you mean?” I asked, gaining more courage through time.
“Grams has told me about going into the dreams of others,” she replied. “When it occurs the person must have the deceased on their minds, and the dream shows the state that the person wants to live in. The rose stands for love, and the open field and sun for peacefulness and your want of a normal life. The mist is your wild side, which is witchcraft and the danger and surprise that you enjoy in life...I wonder what Piper and Phoebe’s dreams would look like...” she drifted off, looking up at the sky. I saw pain and guilt on her face. It was the same expression I saw on Piper’s face when she looked at that picture of Phoebe, Prue, and herself. There was silence for a moment before Prue looked at me with tears in her eyes. “I have a favor to ask of you,” she said softly, the wind blowing her hair angelically around her face.
“What is it?” I asked.
“The Elders won’t let Piper or Phoebe summon me,” she said. “You’ve seen them summon Grams and Mom before, but I cannot be summoned. The Elders will not allow me to watch them from up there, and I can only know how my sisters are through short messages from Grams.” She stopped and looked me straight in the eyes. “That’s why I need your help.”
“How can I help?” I asked, bewildered and excited at the same time.
“I could only do this spell because I...was...a Charmed one and you are one also. Our powers allowed this to happen. The full moon helped as well. I waited until this night for I did not know if the connection between us was strong enough, and the full moon would have helped to connect our souls to meet. But, it looks like you have been thinking of me, for it has been easy to stay in contact and I am not slipping out of this dream.” I blushed with embarrassment. She knew I had her on my mind. “I cannot contact Piper or Phoebe because of the Elders. They say that the loss is too close for them, and if I speak with them then they will not accept my...death.” She said the word with denial, disgust, and embarrassment. “Grams will not tell me much, for she doesn’t always have time to watch over you three. She was a powerful witch in her time and has much experience. She confers a lot with messengers from the Elders.” She paused for a breath and looked up at the sky before continuing. The clouds were gone and a dark sky with stars and a shining full moon was in its place. Day had turned to night. “It is nearing morning, so I will hurry,” she said quickly. “I would appreciate it if I could come in contact with you like this regularly to find out how Piper and Phoebe are doing. I miss them terribly...But I cannot see them. I think it is for my own good...”
“I know,” I said softly, stepping forward and putting my hand on her shoulder. “The Elders are right. I can see it in your eyes...You must accept your own death before you may appear as a ghost.” She looked up sharply but I had a grip on her shoulder. “Don’t be embarrassed,” I said firmly. “It was your time...and it isn’t like you failed. Your sisters are still alive and living wonderful lives. You didn’t fail them.” She looked at me with doubt and started to say something, but stopped. I didn’t blame her. I felt the bond between us, for we were half sisters and shared a similar power...But she did not know me, and I knew very little of her. I dropped my hand and took a step back. The wind was getting cold.
“My favor,” she continued. “It may drain your strength somewhat, but that is why I will come on the full and half moons. They give us more power and it will not take a toll on you as much.” I looked at Prue and saw the pain in her eyes. She was desperate to help and look after her sisters, even in death. She had done it all her life and couldn’t stop now. “What do you say Paige?” she asked. “Will you do this for me?” The wind blew swiftly and I shivered in the breeze.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “I will help...but this isn’t a good time for my strength to weaken. Someone is after us. An assassin was sent, but we defeated it.” I looked at her and she smiled sadly.
“Yes, there’s always someone,” she said softly. “I am sorry. I give you this now then.” She held out her hand and in it was a white glowing light. “It is a piece of my soul. It will allow you to stay strong and will let me stay in contact with you with ease. You’ll learn to summon me in your dreams as well, with this inside of you.” I looked at her with caution and I saw her smile with encouragement. Taking a deep breath, I reached out my hand and timidly touched the light. My body felt like fire as part of her soul went into me. Prue was a fighter. That small part of her soul was so strong...When my head cleared I opened my eyes and saw her looking at me with surprise. She felt it too. I had become part of her, and she had become part of me as well. I felt her confidence and her love for her sisters. I knew when she felt my uncertainty of my role in the Halliwell family and when she felt my yearn for a love as strong as the love between Piper and Leo, as well as between Phoebe and Cole.
Then, the ground started to shake and the stars began to fall.
“What’s happening?!” I yelled to Prue, who stood there with composure.
“Morning is coming, and your body wants you to wake,” she said softly. “We will be in touch. Please be careful and I wish you luck with this new enemy.” With that the stars reached the ground and exploded.
********************
My eyes popped open to the gong of the clock. It was nine o’clock, and Piper stood in front of me.
“Wha...?” I said, confused at where I was. The album was still in my lap and sunlight was filtering in through the window and onto me.
“You fell asleep Paige,” Piper said, putting her hand out to help me up. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for a few minutes. How long did you stay up last night?” I got to my feet and wobbled, almost collapsing, but holding my balance. “Paige, are you okay?” Piper said, concern in her voice. “Sit down,” she demanded, pushing me to the couch again. My head was ringing and I felt dizzy. I watched as she ran out of the room and into the kitchen.
“My body must be getting use to the soul...” I whispered, putting my hand to my head. “I would be a lot weaker than this...but when I was about to collapse I felt that confidence...from Prue...” I sat back in the couch and waited for my headache to recede while I contemplated my situation. Hearing something, I opened my eyes and saw Leo bent down in front of me. Piper was standing next to him holding a glass of water and some aspirin.
“Here, take this,” she said, handing them to me. I obeyed, wanting my massive headache to leave.
“Paige, tell me what’s wrong,” Leo said, putting his hand on my forehead. “Did you get hurt last night?”
“Uh...no,” I replied while handing my glass back to Piper. “I did knock my head on the door, but the bump went away...” I felt Leo’s hand trace my forehead, but as I said the bump had disappeared. “I just felt a little dizzy,” I told him, waving his arm away. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” I saw their concern but was determined to not worry them...or was that Prue? I shivered at the thought and started to rise to my feet. Leo and Piper both reached out to help me up, but when I was on my feet I waved their arms away. “Don’t worry about me,” I said again, more firmly. “Anyway, we should be concentrating on the demon that will be attacking.” I saw recognition flash across Piper’s face, and she took a step towards Leo and held onto his shoulder.
“Wow Paige,” she said in an astonished voice. “At that exact moment...with your body language and tone and all...you sounded just like Prue.” I stared at her for a moment and blushed.
“Sorry,” I said softly before turning and heading for the kitchen. Piper and Leo followed and when I sat down at the table they sat down right in front of me. “Could you please pass a bagel?” I asked as I reached for the cream cheese and ignored my family’s inquisitive stares. Piper complied but both she and Leo kept their eyes on me.
“Paige, what’s wrong?” Piper asked. “Is there something you’re not telling us?” I looked up from my bagel and gazed at both of them. Finally, I gave them a smile and sighed.
“No, nothing’s wrong,” I said, giving them a look of apology. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“Okay,” Piper replied. “But if something were wrong, you would tell us?” I nodded and we left it at that. Wow, Prue sure was a strong one. I realized that she had given me part of her soul in order for me to be stronger, but if I wasn’t careful she’d take over my actions. Shaking my head, I continued to eat.
“Hopefully this food will reenergize me,” I said to myself while glancing up to see Leo reading the paper and Piper doing the dishes. I hope it does...I need all my strength.
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*(PHOEBE)*
Opening my eyes, I saw that Cole was leaning over me.
“Good morning,” I said as he leaned down to give me a kiss.
“Good morning,” he replied, holding his hand out and helping me out of bed. “Everyone else is already up,” he said. “I’m getting in the shower really quick.” With that, he shimmered out and the water started to run. Oh, and boy did he need a shower! Running from bounty hunters sure does make a person sweaty and dirty. Ewhhhhh… Sighing to myself, I quickly got dressed and brushed my hair. When I was finished Cole shimmered back in with his hair wet, but at least he was clean. I gave him a hug and then we went downstairs. To our surprise, as we started down the stair case, Paige was coming up...Dressed in the same clothes she had on yesterday.
“Hey,” she said with surprise. “I’m just going to change.” We let her pass before quickly entering the kitchen.
“What’s wrong with Paige?” I asked, walking up to Piper as she turned to face me. “She was in the same clothes she had on yesterday. Was she attacked? What happened?”
“Calm down,” Piper said in her way that makes you think everything will be fine. I hadn‘t heard her use that tone since Prue was alive and she was the middle sister. “She just fell asleep down here last night while she was putting pictures back in the album. She did wake up with a headache and feeling a little dizzy, but that could have been from her sleeping position or from the fight yesterday disorientating her.” I looked at Leo and he nodded his head. Then, glancing at Cole, I sighed and sat down at the table.
“I’m sorry,” I told Piper as she sat down in front of me. “I guess it’s just the stress of waiting for another attack.” She put her hand on mine and held it for assurance. A moment later she let go and I looked up.
“It’s okay, we’re all stressed. That might have been why Paige felt sick this morning. Just eat something and you’ll feel better.” I shook my head while Cole sat down next to me and reached for two bagels, one for each of us. As I ate I realized that Leo was reading the paper, Piper was doing the dishes, and Paige was late coming downstairs...we were still in our normal routine. I was finishing up when I heard Paige walk down the stairs and turn into the living room. After finishing my breakfast I got up, took my plate as well as Cole’s, and put them in the dishwasher. Then, to my surprise, Cole took me aside and into the hall.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, seeing distress and worry in his features.
“I’ve been here too long,” he replied, giving me a hug. I put my arms around him and knew what was coming next. “I can feel the bounty hunters getting closer, and they will attack very soon. I don’t want you to be in any more danger than necessary.” I looked up into his eyes and saw his agony. He hated to leave when a demon was going to attack, but he had no choice. He bent down and gave me a light and pleasant kiss before stepping back and shimmering out before he could change his mind. Oh, I hated when he did this...Never knowing if he’d come back to me, never knowing if he was okay...*sigh* Gaining my composure, I walked into the living room to see Paige picking up her potions from the table and putting them into her pocket. I watched as she started to pace around the room, restless, just like...Prue use to do.
“Are you alright,” I asked, walking in and sitting on the arm of the couch. She stopped suddenly, like she hadn’t realized she was pacing, and looked over at me.
“Yeah,” she finally said with a sigh. “I’m okay.” I could tell she still wasn’t feeling great, but I didn’t say anything. I probably didn’t look too great either. “Are you okay?” she asked. She had seen the worry and sorrow on my face, just as I had thought.
“Cole had to leave,” I answered, and that was enough for her to understand.
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*(PAIGE)*
I looked at Phoebe with concern and understanding. It was hard for her to have no knowledge of Cole’s whereabouts or safety. I gave her a reassuring smile and opened my mouth to comfort herm but I was interrupted by a crash from the kitchen. A minute later Piper and Leo ran into the room, Piper leaning on him for support. Running after them came a human-looking demon dressed in black with a knife in his hand. Throwing his other hand outward, a strong wind came and knocked all of us off our feet. No, I had to get up! Shaking off the twisted ankle that had occurred after tumbling through the air and into the wall, I leaped to my feet and called for the knife.
“Knife!” I yelled, holding my hand out and watching as it materialized into my hand. Oh boy, now the demon had his eyes on me. I quickly surveyed the room. Piper was out and Leo was bending over Phoebe who had smashed into the stairs at a nasty angle. I quickly threw the knife into the demon’s leg. “Piper, do it now!” I yelled as the demon fell to his knee and attempted to pull out the knife. I looked over to see Piper struggle to sit up. Finally, she seemed to understand what was going on and threw out her hands just as the demon had succeeded in pulling out the blade from his wounded leg. The assassin froze in mid stance and all was quiet. I limped over to Piper and sat down next to her. She had a knife wound in her side and she was between consciousness and unconsciousness. “Leo!” I called and he was there in a second, healing her before she passed out and the demon unfroze. I looked behind us to see Phoebe on the floor, healed but just dazed. I stood up to go help her, but the confidence and urge to fight from Prue had withdrawn after the battle, and I fell to the floor.
“Paige!” Phoebe exclaimed as I fell to my knees. She swiftly got up and came to my side.
“It’s okay,” I insisted while I sat down on the floor, my ankle in front of me. “I think I just twisted my ankle.” Phoebe and I looked over to see Piper sitting up and concentrating to keep the demon frozen. Then, Leo and Phoebe switched places and Leo went to work healing my ankle. Phoebe helped Piper up and with Piper’s potions in hand, they walked over to the demon. Leo finished with me and held out his hand. “Thanks Leo,” I said as he helped me to my feet.
“No problem,” he replied, handing me my potions that had luckily slipped out of my pocket before I smashed into the wall. Phoebe had hers in her hand when the demon had sent her flying, so they were lying broken and unusable on the floor.
TO BE CONTINUED...
